Vusi Kunene: Age, Awards, All The Facts
South African Stars
Soul City star Vusi Kunene is an actor that needs fewer words for introduction. The actor has remained consistent in the acting industry for close to four decades and he is known beyond the shores of South Africa as his performance in the popular show “Isibaya” hasn’t gone unnoticed outside of South Africa. There must be something about him and here is everything you need to know about the thespian.
Vusi Kunene: Age and bio
Vusi Kunene was born on 12 April 1966 in Soweto Johannesburg South Africa. Birth records reveal that his birth date was on a Friday the 13th, but the midwife on duty during his delivery changed his birth date to 12 April (Thursday) in order to avoid the spooky Friday 13th date that many believes bring bad luck.
The actor discovered his acting talents at the Shell Road to Fame School of the Arts, which a school that was founded to help rising actors prepare better for film auditions. In 1991, he registered at the Wits School of Drama, for a Degree in Dramatic Art. While pursuing his studies, he landed the opportunity to perform in numerous student stage dramas, including “The Hill”, where he met Moonyeenn Lee who would later become his agent.
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His undergraduate days at Wits school was filled with so much adventure and opportunities. He appeared in three television films: “Drumbeats”, directed by Jurgen Shaderburg; “The Line”, directed by Brian Tilley for Channel Four; and the mini-series “Rhodes”, directed by David Drury for the BBC.
He was also cast in three feature films including the role of Reverend Msimango in “Cry the Beloved Country”, directed by Darryl Roodt. After his graduation, he became fully involved in making movies. Vusi Kunene is 54 years old.
Career and Awards
Vusi Kunene was awarded an M-Net All Africa Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and a Zimbabwe-Southern African Film Festival award for Best Performance for his role as Reverend Msimango. A year after his graduation, he appeared in “The Coloured Museum” directed by Itumeleng Motsikoe for the Market Theatre. Vusi appeared in “Homelands” directed by Neal Sundstrom and in 1997 he appeared in “Deafening Silence” directed by Ettienne De Villiers, both for SABC Television. Vusi used the late 90’s to cement his place in the entertainment industry as he was nearly involved in major blockbuster movies and television series.
In 1998 he was cast in the drama series Justice for All directed by Peter Goldsmid, for which he won an Avanti award for Best Actor. Vusi was nominated for an NTVA award for Best Actor for his role as Daniel Mofokeng in “Homelands”, and was nominated for the same award three years in a row (2002-2004) for his role as Jack Mabaso in Generations. In 1996 he was cast in two feature films “Fools” directed by Ramadan Suleman, and “Kini and Adams” in which he played the lead role of Kini, directed by Idrissa Ouedraogo for Framework, Zimbabwe.
In 1998 he was cast in A Reasonable Man directed by Gavin Hood and then The King is Alive, a Dogma production which was directed by Kristian Levring and filmed in Namibia in 1999. He made a guest appearance in an episode of the sci-fi television series “Charlie Jade” in the 2005 episode entitled “Dirty Laundry” (Season 1, Episode 6). In 2008 he played the role of Doctor Gulubane in the pilot episode of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, directed by the late Anthony Minghella.
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He also has a starring role as Bhekifa Ngubane, a powerful, self-made scrap metal mogul who also owns a share in a nightclub, in the Mzansi Magic telenovela-turned-soap-opera “isibaya”. This is one performance that many associate him with and which he should be proud of.
All The Facts
Vusi Kunene has two kids, first is a lovechild with Grace Mahlaba actress from Backstage. A South African Instagram entertainment page S.A Celebs once broke a story that the actor has an adult child with Grace. The story also alleged that Grace demanded R5000 per month for child support while his daughter sued his father for child abandonment. The actors’ family life may be blurry but we all know about his alter ego family on “Generations” where he is married to Brenda Mhlongo with their son, Fana Mabaso, two daughters, Sphesihle ‘Sphe’ Cele and Namhla Diale.
Image source: YouTube
